The two players came off the bench to make the difference in the quarterfinal against Greece
Issac Bonga, Johannes Thiemann provided big boost for Germany
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Germany fell behind early in the first quarterfinal at the Olympic Games in Paris against Greece on Tuesday and trailed by 10 after 10 minutes. It was clear that Germany needed a boost from somewhere and Turkish Airlines EuroLeague veterans Isaac Bonga and Johannes Thiemann were there to provide it. With the duo standing tall, Germany prevailed 76-63.
With the two on the court, Germany was at its best. Bonga led all players in +/- with 22, which means that in the 11 and a half minutes he was on the bench, his team was outscored by 9. Second on the team in +/- was Thieman with 18.
Bonga posted 9 points in 3-of-6 three-point shooting, 6 rebounds and 2 assists for a PIR of 12. Thieman finished with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field plus 6 rebounds for a PIR of 14.
With Germany down 5 midway through the third quarter, Bonga made a clutch three-pointer to bring his team within 45-47. Then Thiemann came up with a steal that led to a Franz Wagner dunk to even things.
Thiemann took the game by the scruff of the neck a few minutes after that when he soared to throw Dennis Schroder’s missed shot back in to give Germany the lead. Then he drew an offensive foul from Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens’s Konstantinos Mitoglou. Thiemann dunked on the break to extend the lead. Bonga ended the third quarter with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to make it 59-52.
Bonga, 24, spent the past two seasons in the EuroLeague with FC Bayern Munich. He has been linked to a transfer to Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade this summer.
Thiemann, 30, played the last six seasons with ALBA Berlin and the last five in the EuroLeague. Coming off his best season, he announced that he will play in Japan next season. Nonetheless, the skills that Bonga and Thiemann fine-tuned in Europe’s top competition served them and Germany well on the bright stage of the Olympic Games to lead Germany into the semifinals.